INDIAN COUNCIL FOR CULTURAL RELATIONS
ADMN SECTION
a) The Name of the organization is “Indian Council for Cultural Relations”
The aims and objectives of the Council are as under:
 To participate in the formulation and implementation of policies and programmes relating
to India’s External Cultural Relations;
 To foster and strengthen cultural relations and mutual understanding between India and
other countries;
 To promote cultural exchange with other countries and peoples;
 to establish and develop relations with national and international organizations in the
field of culture;
 To take such measures as may be required to further these objectives.
b) The major functions of the Council include:
 Administration of scholarship schemes for overseas students on behalf of the
Government of India and other agencies, and to supervise the welfare of international
students;
 Grant of scholarships to foreign students to learn Indian dance and music;
 Exchange of Exhibitions;
 Organization of and participation in international seminars and symposia;
 Participation in major cultural festivals abroad;
 Organization of 'Festivals of India' abroad;
 Exchange of groups of performing artistes;
 Organization of lecture-demonstrations by performing artistes abroad;
 To maintain the Distinguished Visitors Programme, under which eminent personalities
from abroad are invited to India and Indian experts are sent abroad to deliver lectures on
issues of mutual interest;
 To establish and maintain Chairs for Indian Studies in universities abroad;
 Presentation of books, audio-visual material, art objects and musical instruments to
institutions abroad;
 To provide the Secretariat for the Jawaharlal Nehru Award for International
Understanding; Organization of the annual Maulana Azad Memorial Lecture and the
Maulana Azad Essay Competition;
 The publication of books and journals for distribution in India and abroad;
 The Maintenance of Indian Cultural Centres abroad;
 The maintenance of a well-stocked library and the manuscripts of Maulana Abul Kalam
Azad;
 The digitization of rare manuscripts;
 Awarding of Library Fellowships, and;
 To undertake projects on behalf of the Ministry of External Affairs;
 The activities of the Council are decided and approved by its Governing Body.